Tania Crawford, Center Director

Bio:

Tania Crawford has been with KinderCare since 1995 and has been the Director at the South Oswego center since 2003. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and 16 years in the Early Childhood Education field. Tania started out as a prekindergarten teacher and within a year became an Assistant Director. In 2000, she was able to experience opening a brand new center. In 2003, she became a Director at the South Oswego location, just minutes from her home. Her goal as the Director is to create a strong partnership, trust and support for each family enrolled at the South Oswego KinderCare.

Previous Experience:

Started as a prekindergarten teacher then became the Assisant Director with in one year.

Quote:

"I truly enjoy the relationships that I have with the families at KinderCare and work very hard to ensure families are satisfied and would recommend us to their friends. I couldn't imagine working with children and not knowing their families."

Michele Bell, Assistant Director

Bio:

Michele Bell has been with KinderCare since 1995 and began as a kindergarten teacher. She brings 16 years of early childhood education experience to the center. During the next four years she worked her way up to Assistant Director and then Center Director. Shortly after the birth of her twins, she transferred to the South Oswego KinderCare in May of 2003 to be the Assistant Director. Michele helps to ensure the classrooms are running their curriculum each day and that families are well informed about their child's day with us.

Previous Experience:

Started as a kindergarten teacher at KinderCare.

Quote:

"I enjoy meeting and getting to know new families when they enroll at KinderCare."

Ms. Ginny, Infant Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Ginny started working for KinderCare in 2006. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and brings 18 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Prior to her start with KinderCare, Ms. Ginny taught early childhood special education students for nine years and was a center director at a church-based preschool for four years. Since her start at the South Oswego KinderCare, Ms. Ginny has been a teacher in the Early Foundations Infant program and has been lucky enough to care for younger siblings of many of her original students. The infants themselves inspire her to come to work each day so she can see their daily progress, as well as their smiling faces.

Previous Experience:

Prior to joining KinderCare, Ms. Ginny spent nine years working with early childhood special education students, and four years as a director of a church-based preschool.

Quote:

"I love seeing children's growth and development over time."

Ms. Jean, Toddler Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Jean was one of the teachers that began working with KinderCare in 2000, when the South Oswego KinderCare first opened for business. Even though she has had experience teaching children of all ages, she enjoys the Early Foundations Toddler program the most. Ms. Jean has her Child Development Associate’s Credential (CDA), and takes pride in all the children she has educated throughout her years with KinderCare.

Quote:

"It's so rewarding to look back and think about the number of lives I've touched over the years!"

Ms. Gurpreet, Infant Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Gurpreet began working for Kindercare in 2008 and teaches in the infant classroom. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and brings four years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. She has had experience working in the nursery, discovery preschool, preschool and prekindergarten classrooms. She transferred to the South Oswego location in 2011 to work in one of her favorite classrooms, the Early Foundations Infant program. Ms. Gurpreet enjoys making an impact in all aspects of a child's development - cognitive, social, emotional, and physical.

Quote:

"The children's smiling faces inspire me to come to work each day."

Ms. Tammy, Toddler Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Tammy is one of our teachers in the Early Foundations Discovery Preschool program. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and has three years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. After her family relocated to Oswego, Ms. Tammy started working for the Oswego School District as a teacher's aide. Ms. Tammy also enjoyed being a stay at home mother for her own two children for a few years prior to joining the KinderCare team in early 2012.

Previous Experience:

Ms. Tammy started her career working for the Oswego School District as a teacher's aide prior to joining KinderCare.

Quote:

"I'm inspired by how the children react to new experiences every day."

Ms. Ebony, Discovery Preschool Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Ebony started working for KinderCare in 2005. She brings six years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field to her classroom. During her tenure with KinderCare, Ms. Ebony has had experience in every age group we service. She currently supports both the discovery preschool classrooms as well as our school-age classroom. No matter what age group she is with, she truly enjoys implementing the curriculum and helping them learn new skills and discover new concepts.

Quote:

"It's so important for me to keep the children interested in the learning process."

Ms. Ronda, Discovery Preschool Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Ronda originally started working for KinderCare in 2003 in our Early Foundations Discovery Preschool program. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and has eight years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. She returned to KinderCare in 2011 after the birth of her second child.

Previous Experience:

Started with KinderCare in 2003. After her second child was born she opened in home daycare and came back to KinderCare in 2011.

Quote:

"Smiles and laughs from my students definitely inspire me to come to work each day."

Ms. Indrani, Discovery Preschool Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Indrani is a teacher's assistant in our Early Foundations Discovery Preschool program. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. After relocating to the U.S., Ms. Indrani came to the Fox Valley area with a strong desire to continue teaching. She started working with KinderCare at the start of 2012 and truly enjoys the new experiences each day with the students in her classroom.

Quote:

"It's a great experience to see the children grow and learn every day. The children end up teaching me, as well, and ensure my day is full of smiles and happiness."

Ms. Valerie, Prekindergarten Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Valerie started working at KinderCare in the spring of 2011 in the prekindergarten classroom. She has a Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education and has four years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Within her first six months at our facility, she was featured in a company-wide newsletter for the great service she provides the families of our center. One parent wrote in to say, "She really, genuinely loves our daughter as her own. Ms. Valerie doesn't treat her position as a job, but seems to treat it as her calling, to be the best caregiver she can be. Ms. Valerie goes the extra step to make sure our daughter feels special and speaks to her with respect and kindness. She goes out of her way to communicate with us, as parents, which is critical when we are away from our children for so many hours in a day".

Quote:

"I take pride in knowing I am inspiring young children to be the leaders of our future."

Ms. Jenna, Kindergarten Enhancement Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Jenna's experience at the South Oswego KinderCare started when she enrolled her son in 2005. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. In 2010, Ms. Jenna joined the team because of the strong partnership, trust and support she and her husband felt as parents. She is now working to ensure that the families of her kindergarten students feel that same commitment.

Quote:

"It's so rewarding to watch the children learn - seeing their smiles and joy as they learn new things."

Ms. Becky, School-Age Classroom

Bio:

Ms. Becky started working for KinderCare in 2007 and has had experience working with every age group since that time. She transferred to our center in 2011 and is now our school-age teacher. Ms. Becky strives to keep the children in her classroom busy and engaged in activities. Her grandmotherly instincts kick in to ensure the children are having fun and treating others respectfully.

Quote:

"My love for the children inspires me to come to work each day. I also love to play!"

Ms. Kris, Program Specialist

Bio:

Ms. Kris has been working for KinderCare since 2002. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and brings nine years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Ms. Kris has taught a variety of age groups and has been an Assistant Director at a couple of different facilities prior to finding her home as the South Oswego KinderCare's Program Specialist. Ms. Kris currently teaches our phonics, reading, math, cooking and two music programs. She also provides curriculum support for the classroom teachers.

Quote:

"I really enjoy guiding the children's success throughout the learning adventure programs."